GEMINI MAN

Full Name:	Sam Casey
Codename:	Gemini Man
Nationality:	American
Organization:	Intersect
Occupation	Agent

Creator:	Steven Bochco
Time Span:	1976 - 1981

ABOUT THE SERIES

Sam Casey, the Gemini Man, is an agent with INTERSECT.

I have seen that organization's name spelled with all caps and with the normal proper case so am not sure which is correct.

However it is capitalized, it stands for "International Security Techniques" and is billed as a "high-tech government think tank" though as far as I know, think tanks do not routinely employ highly skilled operatives to go on secret missions to fight international bad guys and the like. Which leads to the belief that the think tank, while certainly legitimate, is also a cover for a clandestine intelligence group.

Casey is one of this agency's best agents though he hardly looks the part of an operative, prone as he is to wearing jeans and riding a motorcycle and overall appearing to be a bit of a rebel. We will learn very little about Casey's past in the dozen of adventures we have of him so we do not know how long he had worked for INTERSECT prior to the incident that brought him to our attention, but it must have been a few years because he is very much respected there.

The incident in question occurred on a mission to find and retrieve a Soviet spy satellite which had fallen to Earth and landed in the ocean. It was Casey's job to scuba-dive to get it. What else was in the satellite to make it explode I do not know but that explosion unleashed some chemicals which changed the makeup of Casey's body as he was caught in the mix. The result of which is that Casey was rendered invisible.

INTERSECT's chief scientist, Dr. Abby Lawrence, found a way to temporarily counteract the invisibility with the help of her "DNA stabilizer". This small device was built into a watch which Casey wears and which he can push a button to turn off the stabilization thus turning him invisible again.

Confusing parts here:

1) When Casey pushes that button, he turns invisible. So do whatever clothes he happens to be wearing. How? Maybe he exudes a sort of forcefield.

2) He can only stay invisible for 15 minutes per day or he risks dying. But he was invisible from the time of the explosion to likely days or weeks later when Dr. Lawrence came up with the stabilizer. How? Maybe once he was stabilized, the problem arose.

Whatever the answers to these questions, Casey had one heckuva gift for a secret agent.

YOUNG ADULT BOOKS

Number of Books:	1
First Appearance:	1977
Last Appearance:	1977


1			Gemini Man Annual 1978 Written by Unknown Copyright: 1977 Published in the UK by BBC-TV. A collection of stories (comic and text) and other items of interest based on the TV series.

MOVIES

Number of Movies:	1
First Appearance:	1981
Last Appearance:	1981


1			Running With Death Directors: Alan J. Levi, Don McDougall Writer: Leslie Stevens Actors: Ben Murphy as Sam Casey, Katherine Crawford as Dr. Lawrence, William Sylvester as Leonard Driscoll Released: 1981 A TV movie made by combining two episodes from the original 1976 series. According to the synopsis by IMDB, "Dimwitted, meaty guy foils criminals by turning invisible."

TELEVISION


Number of Episodes:	12
First Appearance:	1976
Last Appearance:	1976
Network:	NBC

REGULAR CAST
Ben Murphy	Sam Casey [ 1 ]
Katherine Crawford	Dr. Abbey Lawrence [ 1 ]
William Sylvester	Leonard Driscoll [ 1 ]

A pilot was made and aired in May of 1976. The series was picked up by NBC and an initial run of 11 episodes ordered and produced. Though only 5 episodes were actually aired in the U.S., all 11 were shown in the U.K.


1	Code Name: Minus One Episode 1-0, first aired 05/10/1976 Director: Alan J. Levi Writer: Leslie Stevens Pilot episode - Sam Casey is on a secret underwater salvage assignment when an explosion happens and a bizarre chemical reaction takes place. Casey is affected and can now turn invisible but there are some nasty side effects.

2	Smithereens Episode 1-1, first aired 09/23/1976 Director: Alan J. Levi Writer: Frank Telford A scientist has created a fuel additive that will triple fuel economy. Sam Casey, the Gemini Man, must drive the man and his sole container of the liquid to INTERSECT. Unfortunately, the liquid is also very unstable and the scientist is plotting against arrival.

3	Minotaur Episode 1-2, first aired 09/30/1976 Director: Alan J. Levi Writers: Robert Bloch, Robert F. O'Neill, Frank Telford A fired INTERSECT scientist has created a powerful robot with a heckuva laser beam and is using that machine to extort $1 million or he will start destroying buildings.

4	Sam Casey, Sam Casey Episode 1-3, first aired 10/07/1976 Director: Michael Caffey Writer: James D. Parriott A spy has undergone plastic surgery to look just like Sam Casey, the Gemini Man, and has infiltrated INTERSECT. Meanwhile, his bosses are doing their best to eliminate the original.

5	Night Train To Dallas Episode 1-4, first aired 10/14/1976 Director: Alan J. Levi Writer: Steven E. deSouza When a scientist working on a top secret project suddenly dies, it is imperative that his work get finished. To help in that, his former secretary who is now competing in the Olympics is needed. Sam Casey, the Gemini Man, is sent to act as the team's bodyguard.

6	Run, Sam, Run Episode 1-5, first aired 10/28/1976 Director: Charles Rondeau Writer: Frank Telford A fellow INTERSECT agent is killed and there is video evidence that it is the Gemini Man, Sam Casey, who is the killer. Since Casey is suffering from amnesia, he needs help to clear his name and he looks to a deaf Salvation Army officer to provide it.

7	Targets Episode 1-6 Director: Michael Caffey Writers: Jim Carlson, Terrence McDonnell A scientist, an expert in nerve gas, once defected to the Soviet Union. She wants to come home and Gemini Man, Sam Casey, must get her and her daughter out of Estonia.

8	Buffalo Bill Rides Again Episode 1-7 Director: Don McDougall Writer: Frank Telford Gemini Man, Sam Casey, uses his friend, Buffalo Bill, to get a job on the pit crew of a racing team. The boss of the team is involved in sabotage and has placed a high explosive in a race car.

9	Escape Hatch Episode 1-8 Director: Paul Stanley Writer: Leslie Stevens Bad men are holding a shipping tycoon hostage on her own ocean liner to force her to sign over her fleet of oil tankers to a foreign power.

10	Eight-Nine-Ten, You're Dead Episode 1-9 Directors: Alan Crosland jr., Andy Sidaris Writers: Richard Fielder, Frank Telford A very mean boxing promoter has kidnapped the father of a champion boxer to make the boxer throw a fight. Gemini Man, Sam Casey, is going to help.

11	Return of the Lion Episode 1-10 Director: Alan J. Levi Writer: Steven E. deSouza The only way to stop a horrendous civil war is for the Gemini Man, Sam Casey, to put a dictator back in charge.

12	Suspect Your Local Police Episode 1-11 Director: Paul Krasny Writers: Rick Mittleman, Steven E. deSouza To determine whether a decorated police officer in LA is a possible Soviet sleeper agent, Gemini Man, Sam Casey, goes undercover as a trainee with the LAPD.

ODDS & ENDS

Number of Items:	2
First Appearance:	1978
Last Appearance:	1978


1			Gemini Man Coloring Book Item Type: Coloring Book Made by: BBC-TV Copyright: 1978 A book with pages to color based on the TV Series. Ben Murphy as Sam Casey is pictured on the front cover.

2			Gemini Man Sticker Fun Book Item Type: Sticker & Coloring Book Made by: BBC-TV Copyright: 1978 A book with punch out stickers and also pages to color. Again Ben Murphy as Sam Casey is pictured on the front cover.

MY COMMENTS

I do not rate this television series very high because it really, in my mind, knocked off David McCallum's The Invisible Man series and because there was so little of it for me to see back in the day. Plus I did not care that much for the lead actor. So when you get down to it, I was predisposed against it and decades later, I obviously remain so.

Now, I did like Dr. Abby Lawrence but being male at the time, well, who wouldn't like the lovely and smart doctor. The illogic of some of the premise still annoy today but my appreciation for the doctor remains.

GRADE

My Grade: B-

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